In network systems and, in particular, wireless network systems/structures, a network perimeter exists at the boundary between the private managed side of the network and the provider managed side of the network. Prior to mobile and cloud technologies, the network perimeter was the services horizon of the privately managed network (e.g., a physical boundary of a campus or office building) at which the services from the privately managed network extend to. However, with the advent of mobile and/or cloud technologies, the network perimeter has become more amorphous, extending beyond the “physical” services horizon, but still being confined to the privately managed platform. For example, client devices can operate on privately managed networks while being within a publicly managed network due to the client device being operated at a remote location from the corporate office. Thus, with mobile and cloud technologies, client devices and applications can operate on extended networks, where the network perimeter can be the borders between the trusted privately managed network and the untrusted publicly managed network.
Providing computational resources at and/or near the network perimeter can result in operation within an untrusted and/or hostile environment, which may compromise security. Yet, balancing security and operational efficacy can make it difficult to provide adequate protection strategies and security policies for client network devices and client network applications operating at and/or near the network perimeter. Generally, balancing security and operational needs within such operational environments tends to hinder extensibility and scalability aspects of platforms providing such computational resources.
The present disclosure is directed at overcoming one or more of the above-mentioned problems.